Now we wait. And oh, yeah, we have to find the excavator guy. And move dirt. Which, if you have followed this off grid prefab house construction blog for any length of time, you know that finding the excavator guy and getting him to dig is going to take weeks.

But oh my gosh. Remember when we had no solar power and only had candle light? My, how the year has actually gone by, quickly, in the prefab house kit!

I recall thinking on especially cold, dark days,
"Iiiiiii need electricity, Iiiiiii need electricity Iiiiiii need electricity tonight!"
Not that some '70s punk band would ever make a song saying something like that but OH WAIT!

Ahem. Now let's talk more about rain water, and water in general.
Water quality has always been on my mind. Growing up sailing, fishing, and swimming on the Chesapeake Bay, the James River, and the 35' deep pond on the ex-family farm, preserving and protecting access to clean water is something I have been aware of for a lifetime. I have watched the Bay and the James River watershed firsthand be affected by our actions...

"...Douglas County, Colorado, conducted a study on how rainwater collection affects aquifer and groundwater supplies. The study revealed that letting people collect rainwater on their properties actually reduces demand from water facilities and improves conservation."

"What insanity! Is the oxygen we breath from the air also going to be regulated by the government. What about the man made ponds that are filled in part by rain? It also poses the question, that if the government has control of the rain that falls on your property, is it responsible for damage from lightning strikes, wind damage, and flooding? I mean doesn't ownership of the heavens carry responsibility as well? Will sunlight used to power solar homes be taxed and regulated? It seems we have less and less control over our own property. I thought property rights were an important issue in the founding of our Country. It seems that so many values that were important to the founders of our Nation and those who have fought to maintain them are slowly being eroded by the ever increasing size of the government. Well, Copeland, I'm not sure anything I've said here even makes sense at this point, but I do thank you for getting my circulation going without having to get too out of breath!"
...
"Can you imagine the reaction and shear puzzlement of Jefferson, Paine, Franklin, Madison, or anyone else to the idea that the State could tell you how many rain barrels you were allowed to have on your property? I think King George who evidently was as crazy as a bedbug would have thought that was nuts. By the way, I think it's also very evident by the average length of my comments, why I don't twitter."

Ha, good points, all, even the part about you and twitter, George! ; )

When I did my original research, I looked at the top, high performing rainwater collection and filtration systems and narrowed it down to an Australian and German system. The German system won out because they distribute within the United States, which is how I came across Rain Management Solutions.

As we continue final interior construction and finish the plumbing, solar heat tube installation, and now the excavation and implementation of the rainwater systems and cistern, things will certainly get even more messy... *sigh*